{"id":25736,"date":"2019-06-20T12:40:00","date_gmt":"2019-06-20T18:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/news\/ask-eartha-utilizing-mound-culture-for-garden-sustainability\/"},"modified":"2019-06-20T12:40:00","modified_gmt":"2019-06-20T18:40:00","slug":"ask-eartha-utilizing-mound-culture-for-garden-sustainability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kift\/local-news\/ask-eartha-utilizing-mound-culture-for-garden-sustainability\/","title":{"rendered":"Ask Eartha: Utilizing \u2018mound culture\u2019 for garden sustainability"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Dear Eartha,<\/p>\n

I\u2019m reworking some garden and landscape beds this year and would like to be especially water-wise. I\u2019m intrigued by a method called h\u00fcgelkultur. Does this work well in our area?<\/p>\n

Caroline, Breckenridge<\/p>\n

Caroline, our precious resource appreciates your integrity! Even though we had a bountiful winter, water is perpetually scarce here in the West. After all, there is more demand than water. This is especially true for the Colorado River, which is fed by the Blue River here in Summit County.<\/p>\n

Planting only drought-tolerant species and using soaker hoses or drip irrigation can save thousands of gallons of water per year. Remember that each Colorado household now can collect rainfall in up to two barrels, with a maximum capacity of 110 gallons total. Topping beds with a mulch of newspaper, leaves, bark or wood chips retains water. Furthermore, using h\u00fcgelkultur, like you mentioned, can save more water and lead to a healthier garden.<\/p>\n

H\u00fcgelkultur is a German word meaning \u201cmound culture.\u201d It is a permaculture-style practice using woody material you would otherwise discard. This material builds up over time to create a layered sustainable bed. In essence, it is a compost pile covered with soil in which plants live.<\/p>\n

Materials range in size, which varies the degree and speed of breakdown. As this occurs, the materials improve the soil for nearby plants. Think of the forest floor. It is made up of layers of decaying matter which are used by living organisms. Twigs, branches, shrubs, leaves, even whole trees make up the soil. Excess rainfall is absorbed by this debris and released in times of drought. That\u2019s the idea behind h\u00fcgelkultur. Let\u2019s put this in terms of a home garden.<\/p>\n

Step One: Choose Your Style<\/p>\n

First, choose your site. Determine if you want to build a raised mound, starting at ground level. H\u00fcgelkultur traditionally creates a mound, but it certainly works in a raised garden bed lined with wood or stones. Alternatively, you could dig at least one foot into the soil and finish the bed at ground level. H\u00fcgelkultur systems work with any size setup.<\/p>\n

Step Two: Go Big<\/p>\n

Next, fill it with a layer of large woody material. You thought trimmings and wood clippings were waste? Think again! These are resources for your system\u2019s base. H\u00fcgelkultur has loose rules, so no need to fuss. You can go as big as logs, or as small as branches. You can even use untreated lumber scraps. These larger materials retain lots of moisture in the bottom of the beds. They break down over a longer period of time, so think of them like food for later.<\/p>\n

Step Three: Think Small + Add Soil<\/p>\n

After the bigger matter is in, alternate the smaller matter \u2013 leaves, straw, grass clippings \u2013 with soil and compost. You want a total of about six to 12 inches in depth. The smaller slash will act as more immediate food for your garden. Top it off with some mulch or gravel for extra water retention. Finally, water your bed and let it settle down for a few days before planting.<\/p>\n

Step Four: Watch it Develop<\/p>\n

Now, sit back and watch as your h\u00fcgelkultur system works its magic. The yard waste you buried in your beds will absorb water like a sponge, creating a moist environment below the soil to help them break down and provide nutrients to your living plants. Your plants will also benefit from that moisture in times of drought, when the \u201csponges\u201d release moisture back to the soil. You will start to notice you won\u2019t need to water as frequently, and you\u2019ll have healthy, happy plants for years to come given the nutrient-rich environment your h\u00fcgelkultur system creates.<\/p>\n

The results aren\u2019t immediate, so be patient. Beds will have lower levels of nitrogen while the matter soaks up water and begins to break down. If you build beds and plant them in the same season, I suggest starting with species that don\u2019t like too much nitrogen, such as potatoes. You can also let them rest and allow the slash to break down over winter before planting in spring of next year. It also allows beneficial organisms \u2014 fungi, mycorrhizae, bacterium, insects and more \u2014 to set up camp.<\/p>\n

Larger systems with big logs will last many years, even decades. If branches make up the largest matter, consider adding another layer to the pile every few years to feed the system. If you plant annuals, do not cut them back or remove them after they die. Instead, utilize that organic matter by covering them with a bit of dirt to allow your h\u00fcgelkultur system to grow a little every year.<\/p>\n

H\u00fcgelkultur is meant to be a guideline for building sustainable garden beds. Use what you have and plant what makes sense. The loose rules make h\u00fcgelkultur more art than science. Start experimenting and happy h\u00fcgelkultur-ing!<\/p>\n

Ask Eartha Steward is written by the staff at the High Country Conservation Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to waste reduction and resource conservation. Submit questions to Eartha at info@highcountryconservation.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

via:: Summit Daily<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dear Eartha, I\u2019m reworking some garden and landscape beds this year and would like to be especially water-wise. I\u2019m intrigued by a method called h\u00fcgelkultur. Does this work well in our area? Caroline, Breckenridge Caroline, our precious resource appreciates your integrity! Even though we had a bountiful winter, water is perpetually scarce here in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[97],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-25736","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-12 05:39:58","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KIFT - The LIFT FM","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kift","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kift\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25736","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kift\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kift\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kift\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kift\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25736"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kift\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25736\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kift\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25736"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kift\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25736"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kift\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}